Review Questions for Summative Midterm Flashcards
A socially shared code or conventional system for representing concepts through the use of arbitrary symbols and rule-governed combinations of those symbols
Language
Language vs. Speech: The principal method of human communication, consisting of words used in a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture
Language
Neuromuscular activity that turns language into an oral sound signal and transmits it to an aural receiver
Speech
Language is a __________ and _____________system of conventional ___________that is used in various modes for thought and communication.
complex
dynamic
symbols
Contemporary views of human language hold that:
- language evolves within specific historical, social, and cultural contexts
- 5 parameters of language
What are the five parameters part of the contemporary views of language?
phonologic, morphologic, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic
language learning and use are determined by the interaction of b___________, c___________, p___________, and e_______________ factors
biological, cognitive, psychosocial, and environmental factors
What are the three language domains according to bloom and Lahey model?
form content use
What is part of form?
Phonology
Morphology
Syntax
What is part of content?
Semantics
What is part of use?
pragmatics
What is Phonology?
Study of the sound system of a language, the sounds the language uses and the rules for their combination
What is a phoneme?
Smallest linguistic unit of sound
What is Morphology? (2)
The rules that govern the use of morphemes in a language
Concerned with the internal organization of words
What is a morpheme?
Smallest unit of meaning in a language
What is syntax? (2)
The rules by which sentences are made
Rules for how to combine words into acceptable phrases and sentences
“The mimsy zibber saw the little Wug”
What is semantics?
The study of the meaning system of language: Word meanings (vocabulary)
What is pragmatics?
The rules for the use of language in social context: Includes interpersonal and social function Communicative competence – social conventions
What is Communication? (3)
● Exchange of information or messages
● Includes a sender and a receiver
● exchanged of info between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior
What are the three specific characteristics of human language?
Productive
Semanticity
Possibility of displacement
Describe productivity:
Speakers can make new utterances and recombine the forms they have learned
Describe semanticity:
Language represents ideas, events and objects symbolically. A word is a symbol that stands for something else
Describe the possibility of displacement in the characteristics of human language:
Messages do not need to be tied to the immediate context
What can we say about the research of language development across cultures? (2)
Most research restricted to west (industrialized) cultures
Child-adult interaction varies across cultures
Language acquisition is influenced:
by the child-rearing practices of the community ex: Interdependence model and Autonomy model
Describe Prototypical cultural models of parenting:
Interdependence Model (2)
● Child is a member of the community
● E.g. babies don’t sleep alone, are in constant body contact with caregivers, and are less talked too
Describe Prototypical culture models of parenting: Autonomy (Independence) model (3)
● Child is an independent agent
● Lots of talk to the child
● Desire to see the child develop independence (e.g. sleep alone)
True or False: There is similar onset of emerging communicative skills (e.g. pointing, showing, attention-getting, etc.) in both Chintang ad Western Germany cultures
True
What is the ONLY difference between the emerging communicative skills between the children of:
-Village in eastern Nepal (Chintang)
-Rural area in western Germany
Somewhat different rate: German children tended to point more (probable given one-on-one interaction with adults)
True or False: Children reach developmental milestones at similar ages – some variation as children got older
True
True or False: -The order of appearance of developmental milestones (e.g., speech) IS affected by culture or the language to be learned
False: it’s not affected
What must is important to consider in communicative skills between cultures? (2)
- values and dynamics
-Be aware of variation within a culture
What are the two theories in language acquisition?
Nature (nativism)
Nurture (empiricist)
Theoretical approach:
-Attempts to discover invariant processes underlying observable data
-“I want milk” : Analyze the form of the utterance
-Evidence that the child knows English word order
Structuralism
Theoretical approach:
- Establish predictive relationships between situational variables and language
-“I want milk” : Utterance is followed by a glass of milk
Functionalism
Theoretical approach: (2)
-Individualʼs knowledge of language
Competence
Structuralism
Theoretical approach: (2)
-Actual instances of language use
Performance
-Functionalists
What is part of the Classical Theories? (2)
Behavioral Approach
Linguistic Approach
What is part of the Interactionist theories? (3)
Cognitive
Social
Usage gesture
Which approach in language acquisition:
- Classical and operant
conditioning (reinforcement)
- Productive speech is the result
of reinforcements and
punishments supplied by
environmental agents
- Language development is
determined by training, not
maturation
- Imitation is an important
factor for language learning
behavioral
Which approach in language acquisition:
- Universal grammar (UG)
- Language Acquisition Device à
Innate biological language
component that specializes in
language processing
ü Environment triggers the maturation
of a physiologically based language
system but does not shape verbal
behaviour
ü It favors competence (formal
organization of grammar) over
performance
ü Critical period for language
Linguistic Approaches
Which approach in language acquisition:
ü Internal structures determine behaviour
ü Invariant order of acquisition across languages
ü Piaget: Language is not a separate innate characteristic,
but rather an ability that results from cognitive
development
ü The sequence of cognitive development determines the
sequence of language development
Cognitive
Constructivism states that “Knowledge
is actively ___________________________________________________________
actively constructed by the
child in interaction with her
world
Which approach in language acquisition:
Combines aspects of behavioral and linguistic approaches
- Speech directed to children (motherese or infant-directed
speech) facilitates language development
- Language emerge from interplay between childrenʼs linguistic
and cognitive capacities and social environment
Social Interaction Approach
Social Interactionist: Nonlinguistic aspects of
interaction are key: (3)
turn-taking,
mutual gaze, joint attention, and
cultural conventions
Social Interactionist: Social interactive language
learning Interactions between
_________________ and___________are the
basis for future conversational
patterns
caregivers and children
Social Interactionist: E___________________ plays an important role in childʼs language growth
Environment
Infants’ productions change over the first year of life (____________). Early _______________ sounds are similar across languages, but these change towards the end of the ________ year
Babbling
babbling
first
Infants’ productions change over the first year of life (Perception and Production of sounds)
- Communication goes beyond the perception and production of sounds
Infants’ productions change over the first year of life: (active interactional Partners)
- “Infants are active interactional partners and their actions affect the subsequent behavior of their caregivers”
Criteria to decide if an infant is engaging in intentional communication: (eye contact)
Child makes eye contact with the partner while gesturing or vocalizing (alternate gaze between object and partner)
Criteria to decide if an infant is engaging in intentional communication: (Consistent gestures)
Some gestures become consistent (opening and closing hand when the baby wants something)
Criteria to decide if an infant is engaging in intentional communication: (Consistent Vocalizing)
Some vocalizations become consistent (producing “eh eh” when the baby wants something)
Criteria to decide if an infant is engaging in intentional communication: (eye contact)
Criteria to decide if an infant is engaging in intentional communication: (wait for response)
After a gesture or vocalization the child pauses to wait for a response from the partner
Criteria to decide if an infant is engaging in intentional communication: (persistance)
The child persists in attempting to communicate if he/she is not understood (can modify behavior)
First signs of intentional communication tend to emerge between ___ to ____ months of age
8 to 10
Early communication of a child consists of_________ and _________
gestures and sounds
What is IDS/CDS/Motherese?
Speech directed to babies that contains specific characteristics
What are some of the features in IDS: (North America)
Higher pitch
-Slower rate of speech
-Variable pitch (greater pitch variation)
-Exaggerated stress
-Simplified sentence structure
-Quantity of _____________speech is important for rate of language development
adult-to-child
-language learning and use = interaction of (4)
biological, cognitive, psychosocial, and environmental factors
-effective use of language for communication requires understanding (3)
nonverbal cues, motivation, and sociocultural roles
